Nationwide, commutes are getting longer. But in two Southern California regions, travel time to work may actually have improved.

Between 2000 and 2012, the number of jobs within the typical commute distance decreased by 7% in the U.S., according to a new Brookings Institute study.

The report focused on job proximity, or the number of jobs that people live close to. Only 29 of the nation's largest 96 metro areas experienced net job gains and improved employment proximity over those 12 years.

Bucking the trend: the Inland Empire and Ventura County.

The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area had a 9.8% increase in job proximity with 126,418 jobs in 2012, up from 115,127 in 2000. The average commute distance was 9.1 miles.

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura was right behind, with a 9.5% increase, adding about 4,000 jobs since 2000 for a total of 46,806 in 2012. A typical commute there was 5.3 miles.